White House to impose sanctions on Syria

It ain't gonna work; another diversion will not work this time.

Syria
Is this the same step one as that started in Iraq?

BBB

Is this an attempt of George W. Bush to make America even MORE unpopular in the Middle East? :wink:

Here we go again. :-C

Time for another war to run the right wing sickos into a fury of support!

It's about time something was done in Syria.

Yeah, let's march in and clean things up like we've done in Iraq. If you liked that war, you'll loved Project Syrian Freedom!

it's really interesting how Bush will not start Project Freedom in any country that actually DOES have WMD without any doubt and in which people are under worst dictatorships on planet, even worse then Saddam's.
How come he didn't choose North Korea?
Maybe cause they don't have oil? And because they actually DO HAVE WMD? And those that REALLY have it can actually use it??

I heard on the radio, shortly after the start of Project Iraqi Freedom, a discussion about N. Korea's nuclear arms. The question was: Why do they have them? One answer made a lot of sense: The gov't there sees what's happening in Iraq--the US marching in virtually unimpeded. Having nuclear weapons makes that a bit more difficult.

Don't forget: N. Korea is part of Bush's axis of evil. They're not stupid over there...

Also North Korea actually fought back last time and it as some heavy weight neighbors/friends, like China. So it's best not to get toughed in that neighborhood..."wouldn't be prudent".

Syrian president refuses U.S. demands after sanctions
Posted on Thu, May. 13, 2004
Syrian president refuses U.S. demands after sanctions
By Steven Butler
Knight Ridder Newspapers

DAMASCUS, Syria - Syrian President Bashar Assad on Thursday rejected U.S. demands to expel Palestinian militants from Syria and withdraw Syrian forces from Lebanon, two days after the Bush administration imposed economic sanctions on Syria over these and other issues.

Assad strongly disputed the premises of the American demands while calling for common effort with the United States to pursue peace in the Middle East and fight terrorism. U.S. officials acknowledge that Syria has provided important intelligence on terrorists.

In a rare interview with visiting American editors, Assad spoke on a wide range of topics, offering insight into the thinking of a key player in the Middle East in the three years since he assumed the presidency after the death of his father, Hafez Assad.

The younger Assad, 38, came to office amid high hopes that he would open up Syria's rigid political system and perhaps play a more active role in peace efforts. Those hopes have been disappointed so far, and the Bush administration has taken an increasingly hard line against his government. Assad's remarks Thursday raise questions about whether Bush administration judgments have been premature.

Bush on Tuesday banned all American exports to Syria except food and medicine and grounded direct flights between Syria and the United States. The actions followed allegations that Syria was supporting terrorism and undermining American efforts in neighboring Iraq.

Referring to Bush administration charges that Syria has allowed Islamic militants to cross its border into Iraq, Assad said, "They accuse us of things we do not do."

While admitting that Syria is unable to fully police the long border with Iraq, he complained that the United States hadn't shared intelligence that might help Syria improve border security.

"We always ask the United States to give one passport, one name, some evidence of this happening. So far we have not received this."

He denied that Syria armed, funded or cooperated with Hezbollah, the militia and political group operating in southern Lebanon that the United States accuses of being a terrorist group. He also denied that Palestinian members of the militant group Hamas who were in Syria had participated in terrorist operations in Israel.

"In Syria we have less than 10 of these men, expelled by Israel and not invited by Syria," Assad said, adding that they do no more than express their views to reporters.

Assad rejected American calls to immediately withdraw Syrian troops from Lebanon, originally sent there to end Lebanon's civil war. Fighting stopped in 1990. He said Syria was withdrawing gradually as the Lebanese army expanded its security capabilities.

He expressed concern that U.S. actions in Iraq, including the prison abuse scandal, had undermined America's credibility in the region.

"The situation (in Iraq) from what we hear is much worse than under Saddam. There used to be a dictatorship in Iraq, but now there is no democracy."

He said people in the Middle East had long distinguished between U.S. policies they disliked and the American people.

"I'm afraid that if this kind of thing accumulates, we will no longer distinguish between the U.S. administration and people, and this is very dangerous," Assad said, speaking of popular attitudes.

While opposing the American decision to invade Iraq, Assad didn't call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces. He said preventing Iraq from splitting apart was of paramount importance, since a fracturing of the nation would set off a cascade of instability in neighboring countries, including his own.

He said Syria wasn't in a position to take the initiative in establishing peace with Israel. Syria has strained relations with Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority. It also has no diplomatic relations with Israel, from whom it seeks the return of the Golan Heights, the strategically important border hills that it lost in the 1967 Mideast war.

Assad said the United States would be the key player in future peace efforts, but that Iraq had taken priority over efforts to work out a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

He said Syria wouldn't abandon its system of emergency rule as long as it was in a state of war with Israel. He said the law was aimed at suppressing terrorism, not stepping on citizens' rights, but he made a frank admission that confirmed charges by human rights activists that the law was widely used to suppress dissent.

"In the past, on many occasions, this law was frequently and repeatedly used the wrong way," he said.

Assad expressed commitment to the political reforms he promised soon after assuming office, which he has yet to implement. He didn't dispute a description of his role as a "dictator," and envisioned a day when Syria would have elections and he'd step down from office.

"Definitely," he said. "We are going to change."

Assad said the changes would come slowly and that his government was focusing first on Syria's economic system, which is stagnant and heavily government-controlled. Private universities and newspapers now are allowed, and Syria has private banks this year for the first time in 40 years. Last year, the government scrapped summary courts that dissidents had complained subverted the judicial process.
------------------------------

(Butler is in Syria on a Gatekeeper Editors fellowship from the Washington-based International Reporting Project.)

MyOwn, Can you imagine how much Americans would end up paying for the reconstruction of North Korea? Our country is already in the red by over 500 billion for this year alone. Besides, where is Bush and Rummie going to get the soldiers to fight in Syria or North Korea?

I know c.i. I don't think that USA should do something in North Korea, problem is that I think that USA had no business doing something in Iraq as well...with Afghanistan there were at least some links connected with 9/11 and actually world was either on US side in this war or at least neutral and silent.

The problem concerning North Korea is that the opposition movement is very small, and that the Communist government in North Korea controls everything. Besides that, there does not seem to be real enthusiasm in the world to do something about the regime in North Korea. It is well-known that the South Korean government - to give an example - does not want to get involved out of fear that a war could break out. The South Korean government even tries to prevent North Koreans fleeing to South Korea, because they - the South Korean government - are afraid that this will only have a bad impact on the already fragile relationship between North and South Korea.

hey Rick, I left you a funny note in "Why is important that we refute Christianity..." read my last or second to last post, don't try to read everything before or you will get very nervous - too much reading

Here's one opinion on the sanctions against Syria. It's not all good. Looks like another shoot from the hip action by Bush.
http://www.plastic.com/article.html;sid=04/05/11/17311828

Sweet Jesus I wish you'd go there.

The Draft....you know that.....